AUDITING-Watch-dogs Grown Fat and Slow

December 1, 1973 ed in the pattern of growth in the Fifth Flan. Take the industrial 'and mineral development programme in the draft. An allocation of Rs 13,529 crores is made, of which Rs 7,830 crores is the public sector's share at the Central level and Rs 5,200 crores are estimated to be the share of the private and co-opera- tive sectors. The public sector outlay at the Central level is composed of Rs 2,812 crores for continuing projects and Rs 4,218 crores for new projects. When one looks at the break-up of this outlay it turns out to be no different from that in past Plans, Where is the change in the pattern and structure of production which, according to the Approach document, was to be the chief instrument of redistribution of consumption and incomes in favour of the weaker sections? Even the target for production of cars follows the established pattern. Equally revealing is the target for fertiliser production and the manner in which it is proposed to be achieved. The Ministries, it would appear, have had their way in the game of target-set ting, without any attention being paid to larger considerations such as, for instance, the need to change the energy' base of the economy or the structure of consumption.